HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Alameda County, California (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Alameda County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $2,912 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Alameda keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$2,912
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$2,621 to $3,203
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$116,480
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in California
9th of 58
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Alameda moves to $2,805. That's down 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Alameda actually rent for?
Search any address in Alameda for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,142 | $1,928 to $2,356 | $85,680 | $41.19/hr | +10.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $2,385 | $2,147 to $2,624 | $95,400 | $45.87/hr | +8.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $2,912 | $2,621 to $3,203 | $116,480 | $56.00/hr | +8.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $3,724 | $3,352 to $4,096 | $148,960 | $71.62/hr | +8.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $4,413 | $3,972 to $4,854 | $176,520 | $84.87/hr | +8.2% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $5,075 | $4,568 to $5,583 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $5,737 | $5,163 to $6,311 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $6,399 | $5,759 to $7,039 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $7,061 | $6,355 to $7,767 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Alameda, that runs from $2,142 for a studio up to $4,413 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Alameda in with one other county in the Oakland-Fremont metro, Contra Costa County among them, and every one of them gets $2,912 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among California's 58 counties, Alameda ranks 9th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 73% above the state median of $1,687 and about 186% above the national median county at $1,018. About 1,663,823 people live here, 7th in the state.
Counties sharing the Oakland-Fremont metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $2,420 in 94601 (Oakland) and $4,050 in 94539 (Fremont), with the 63 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94501 | Alameda | $3,090 | +6.1% |
| 94502 | Alameda | $3,390 | +16.4% |
| 94536 | Fremont | $3,590 | +23.3% |
| 94537 | Fremont | $2,920 | +0.3% |
| 94538 | Fremont | $3,680 | +26.4% |
| 94539 | Fremont | $4,050 | +39.1% |
| 94540 | Hayward | $2,920 | +0.3% |
| 94541 | Hayward | $2,850 | -2.1% |
| 94542 | Hayward | $3,150 | +8.2% |
| 94543 | Hayward | $2,920 | +0.3% |
| 94544 | Hayward | $2,850 | -2.1% |
| 94545 | Hayward | $3,060 | +5.1% |
| 94546 | Castro Valley | $3,000 | +3.0% |
| 94550 | Livermore | $3,300 | +13.3% |
| 94551 | Livermore | $3,200 | +9.9% |
| 94552 | Castro Valley | $3,340 | +14.7% |
| 94555 | Fremont | $3,940 | +35.3% |
| 94557 | Hayward | $2,920 | +0.3% |
| 94560 | Newark | $3,410 | +17.1% |
| 94566 | Pleasanton | $3,320 | +14.0% |
| 94568 | Dublin | $3,970 | +36.3% |
| 94577 | San Leandro | $2,750 | -5.6% |
| 94578 | San Leandro | $2,710 | -6.9% |
| 94579 | San Leandro | $2,600 | -10.7% |
| 94580 | San Lorenzo | $2,830 | -2.8% |
| 94586 | Sunol | $3,250 | +11.6% |
| 94587 | Union City | $3,230 | +10.9% |
| 94588 | Pleasanton | $3,890 | +33.6% |
| 94601 | Oakland | $2,420 | -16.9% |
| 94602 | Oakland | $2,420 | -16.9% |
| 94603 | Oakland | $2,420 | -16.9% |
| 94604 | Oakland | $2,920 | +0.3% |
| 94605 | Oakland | $2,420 | -16.9% |
| 94606 | Oakland | $2,420 | -16.9% |
| 94607 | Oakland | $2,450 | -15.9% |
| 94608 | Emeryville | $3,250 | +11.6% |
| 94609 | Oakland | $3,020 | +3.7% |
| 94610 | Oakland | $2,970 | +2.0% |
| 94611 | Oakland | $2,930 | +0.6% |
| 94612 | Oakland | $3,060 | +5.1% |
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Alameda somewhere between $2,621 and $3,203. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$2,912 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $116,480 a year. Put another way, $56 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($2,621) | HAP at 100% ($2,912) | HAP at 110% ($3,203) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,871 | $2,162 | $2,453 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $1,421 | $1,712 | $2,003 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($2,682) to FY 2026 ($2,912). Since FY 2020 it's up 30% in total, about 4.5% a year. The California median moved up 9% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1,488 | $1,808 | $2,239 | $3,042 | $3,720 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,595 | $1,934 | $2,383 | $3,196 | $3,863 | +6.4% |
| FY 2022 | $1,538 | $1,854 | $2,274 | $3,006 | $3,578 | -4.6% |
| FY 2023 | $1,658 | $1,969 | $2,405 | $3,144 | $3,706 | +5.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,825 | $2,131 | $2,590 | $3,342 | $3,954 | +7.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,937 | $2,201 | $2,682 | $3,432 | $4,077 | +3.6% |
| FY 2026 | $2,142 | $2,385 | $2,912 | $3,724 | $4,413 | +8.6% |
| FY 2027 | $2,088 | $2,290 | $2,805 | $3,592 | $4,250 | -3.7% |
Nearby counties
Contra Costa County
$2,91213 mi · pop 1,162,648
San Francisco County
$3,60415 mi · pop 851,036
San Mateo County
$3,60419 mi · pop 754,250
Marin County
$3,60430 mi · pop 260,485
Santa Clara County
$3,48333 mi · pop 1,916,831
Solano County
$2,17834 mi · pop 450,995
Napa County
$2,77349 mi · pop 137,384
San Joaquin County
$1,74249 mi · pop 779,445
Questions people ask
$2,912 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $2,142 for a studio, $2,385 for one bedroom, $3,724 for three and $4,413 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Alameda actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Alameda for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.